What Bible Translations Did the Puritans Use? The Answer May Surprise You!

In this episode of Puritan Preaching, Dr. Shane Deane explores a question that many Christians have wondered but few have carefully studied: What Bible did the Puritans actually use? Many assume the answer is simply the King James Version. But the story is far richer than that. Long before John Owen, Thomas Watson, John Bunyan, and Matthew Henry preached from the King James Bible, another translation shaped the early Puritan movement: the Geneva Bible. Yet the story stretches back even further through William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, Jerome's Latin Vulgate, and even the ancient Greek Septuagint. In this episode, we trace the remarkable history of God's Word as it journeyed from the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into the English language. Along the way, we meet courageous translators who risked imprisonment, exile, and even death so that ordinary Christians could read the Bible for themselves. Among the topics explored are: • Why the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate were so influential • John Wycliffe's vision for an English Bible • William Tyndale's extraordinary contribution to the English language • How Tyndale gave his life so others could read God's Word • The development of the Coverdale, Matthew, and Great Bibles • Why the Geneva Bible became the Bible of the early Puritans • Why King James I commissioned a new translation • How the King James Version gradually replaced the Geneva Bible • Why the Puritans loved the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures • What modern Christians can learn from the Puritans' devotion to God's Word Along the way, we discover the remarkable providence of God in preserving His Word throughout history and raising up faithful men to translate it for future generations. More importantly, we are reminded that the Puritans were not devoted to one particular English translation. They were devoted to the Scriptures themselves. Whether reading the Geneva Bible or the King James Version, they approached God's Word with reverence, diligence, and the conviction that every word was breathed out by God. Four centuries later, their example still challenges us. The greatest lesson we can learn from the Puritans is not simply which Bible they used, but how they used it. They read it prayerfully, studied it carefully, preached it faithfully, and sought to obey it wholeheartedly. Whether you are interested in church history, Bible translation, the Protestant Reformation, or the lives of the Puritans, this episode tells one of the most fascinating stories in Christian history. 👉 Subscribe for more content on Puritan theology, preaching, prayer, church history, and the Reformed tradition. 📱 Follow Puritan Preaching on Instagram: @puritanpreaching Facebook: @puritanpreaching #puritanpreaching #puritans #genevabible #kingjamesbible #williamtyndale #churchhistory #biblehistory #reformation #johnowen #christianhistory #theology #reformed #bibletranslation #kjv #genevabible1560